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Sertoli cell metabolism actively maintains the nutritional needs of germ cells. It has been described that after glucose incorporation in Sertoli cells, less than 1% is converted to glycogen suggesting low levels of glycogen synthase activity. Phosphorylation of muscle glycogen synthase (MGS) at serine 640 (pS640MGS) decreases its activity, and this form of the enzyme was discovered as a non-ribosomal protein that modulates the translation of a subset of transcripts in HeLa cells. The aim of our study was to functionally characterize MGS in cultured Sertoli cells, as well as to explore this new feature related to RNA molecules. We detected MGS in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells as well as in the nuclei. The activity rates of the enzyme were extremely low indicating that MGS is expressed but almost inactive. Protein targeting to glycogen (PTG) overexpression was performed to activate MGS by dephosphorylation. PTG induced glycogen synthesis massively, confirming that this enzyme is present but inactive. This finding correlates with high levels of pS640MGS, which were assayed by phosphatase treatment. To explore a putative new function for MGS in Sertoli cells, we performed RNA immunoprecipitation coupled to microarray studies. The results revealed that MGS co-immunoprecipitated with the several mRNAs and also rRNAs. These findings indicate that MGS is expressed Sertoli cells but in an inactive form, and also support a possibly novel feature of this metabolic enzyme associated with RNA-related molecules. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 2597-2607, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Glycogen is the main storage form of glucose; however, the accumulation of glycogen-like glucose polymers can lead to degeneration and cellular death. Previously, we reported that the accumulation of glycogen in testis of transgenic animals overexpressing a constitutively active form of glycogen synthase enhances the apoptosis of pre-meiotic male germ cells and a complete disorganization of the seminiferous tubules. Here we sought to further identify the effects of glycogen storage in cells from the seminiferous tubules and the mechanism behind the pro-apoptotic activity induced by its accumulation. Using an in vitro culture of Sertoli cells (line 42GPA9) and spermatocyte-like cells (line GC-1) expressing a superactive form of glycogen synthase or the Protein Targeting to Glycogen (PTG), we found that glycogen synthesized in both cell lines is poorly branched. In addition, the immunodetection of key molecules of apoptotic events suggests that cellular death induced by polyglucosan molecules affects GC-1 cells, but not 42GPA9 cells by mitochondrial impairment and activation of an intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of glycogen deposition during the establishment of an in vitro blood-testis barrier. The results using a non-permeable fluorescent molecule showed that, in conditions of over-synthesis of glycogen, 42GPA9 cells do not lose their capacity to generate an impermeable barrier and the levels of connexin43, occludin, and ZO1 proteins were not affected. These results suggest that the accumulation of polyglucosan molecules has a selective effect-triggered by the intrinsic activation of the apoptotic pathway-in germ cells without directly affecting Sertoli cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2142-2152, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Although erythrocytes readily metabolize fructose, it has not been known how this sugar gains entry to the red blood cell. We present evidence indicating that human erythrocytes express the fructose transporter GLUT5, which is the major means for transporting fructose into the cell. Immunoblotting and immunolocalization experiments identified the presence of GLUT1 and GLUT5 as the main facilitative hexose transporters expressed in human erythrocytes, with GLUT2 present in lower amounts. Functional studies allowed the identification of two transporters with different kinetic properties involved in the transport of fructose in human erythrocytes. The predominant transporter (GLUT5) showed an apparent Km for fructose of approximately 10 mmol/L. Transport of low concentrations of fructose was not affected by 2-deoxy–D-glucose, a glucose analog that is transported by GLUT1 and GLUT2. Similarly, cytochalasin B, a potent inhibitor of the functional activity of GLUT1 and GLUT2, did not affect the transport of fructose in human erythrocytes. The functional properties of the fructose transporter present in human erythrocytes are consistent with a central role for GLUT5 as the physiological transporter of fructose in these cells.

The facilitative hexose transporter GLUT1 is a multifunctional protein that transports hexoses and dehydroascorbic acid, the oxidized form of vitamin C, and interacts with several molecules structurally unrelated to the transported substrates. Here we analyzed in detail the interaction of GLUT1 with a group of tyrosine kinase inhibitors that include natural products of the family of flavones and isoflavones and synthetic compounds such as the tyrphostins. These compounds inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the transport of hexoses and dehydroascorbic acid in human myeloid HL-60 cells, in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing GLUT1, and in normal human erythrocytes, and blocked the glucose-displaceable binding of cytochalasin B to GLUT1 in erythrocyte ghosts. Kinetic analysis of transport data indicated that only tyrosine kinase inhibitors with specificity for ATP binding sites inhibited the transport activity of GLUT1 in a competitive manner. In contrast, those inhibitors that are competitive with tyrosine but not with ATP failed to inhibit hexose uptake or did so in a noncompetitive manner. These results, together with recent evidence demonstrating that GLUT1 is a nucleotide binding protein, support the concept that the inhibitory effect on transport is related to the direct interaction of the inhibitors with GLUT1. We conclude that predicted nucleotide-binding motifs present in GLUT1 are important for the interaction of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors with the transporter and may participate directly in the binding transport of substrates by GLUT1.

Glucose phosphorylating activities were measured in liver extracts from two urodeles and twenty-six anurans. Fractionation on diethylaminoethyl-cellulose columns of liver extracts from these amphibians permitted the recognition of four hexokinases which are called A, B, C, and D. However, any given amphibian displays only three liver hexokinases and the profiles so far observed are either of the type A-B-D or C-B-D. The distribution of the amphibians in either type of pattern does not show any simple taxonomic relationship. A wide generic and specific, but not individual, variation of the relative proportion of each isoenzyme was observed. Hexokinases A and B were shown to be low Km glucose isoenzymes (0.06 and 0.15 m m glucose, respectively) with normal hyperbolic kinetics. Hexokinase C, also a low Km isoenzyme (0.05 m m ) was found to be inhibited by excess substrate at physiological levels of glucose. Hexokinases A, B, and C were able to phosphorylate fructose, mannose, and 2-deoxyglucose at equal or higher rates than glucose when assayed at saturating sugar levels. Hexokinase D was found to be a high Km isoenzyme ( K 0.5 ⋍ 2 mM ) with sigmoidal saturation curves for glucose (Hill coefficient ⋍ 1.6). Fructose and mannose were also phosphorylated by this isoenzyme at about 70% of the glucose rate when studied at saturating sugar concentrations. The properties of the amphibian hexokinases are thus similar, although not identical, to those of mammalian hexokinases.

1. 1. ATP : d -hexose 6-phosphotransferase activity was measured in the liver of thirteen species belonging to six avian orders. Total enzyme levels ranged from 0·2 (yellow finch) to 2·7 units (goose) per g of liver, very similar to those found in mammalian liver. 2. 2. Chromatographic fractionation of liver extracts on DEAE-cellulose columns separates two low- K m phosphotransferase isoenzymes, called A and B according to their order of elution. In some species a small third peak was observed. None of the isoenzymes were inhibited by excess of glucose and no high- K m isoenzyme fraction could be detected.

1. 1. Only two ATP: d -hexose 6-phosphotransferase isoenzymes (A and B) were resolved when liver extracts from adult male well fed chickens were chromatographed in DEAE cellulose columns. The other two phosphotransferases usually found in rodent liver i.e., isoenzyme C and the high- K m glucokinase (isoenzyme D), were not detected in chick liver. 2. 2. Both isoenzymes were found to be typical hexokinases on the basis of their low K m glucose values, broad sugar specificities, and molecular weights of about 100,000 daltons.

1. 1. ATP: d-hexose 6-phosphotransferase activity was measured in the liver of several reptiles. Total values ranged from 0.20 to 1.20 units/g of liver, i.e. similar to those found in mammalian or avian liver. 2. 2. Chromatography of liver extracts on DEAE-cellulose columns revealed several hexose phosphotransferases in all animals studied. 3. 3. Four isoenzymes were found in adult turtle liver, one of them a typical high-Km phosphotransferase. 4. 4. This isoenzyme was not detected in seven lacertids, one amphisbenid and two colubrid snakes. 5. 5. Three low-Km hexokinases were found in lacertid liver and only two in Amphisbena and the snakes.